It’ s almost that time of year… the clocks move back; the days get shorter, cooler and darker.

Here are a few pointers for preparing for the moving the clocks from Daylight Savings (PDT) back to Standard Time (PST):

General Tips:

Keep your regular day and night routine

Maintain positive sleep associations

Remember consistency is key

Avoid any other unnecessary transitions over this time – eg. moving your child into a big kid bed or night weaning

Below is a step by step guide to transitioning your baby/toddler into the new time (Sunday 5th November, 2017). My recommendation is movingbedtime, nap times, and meal times15 minslaterover a few days. You also have the option of doing this more gradually (i.e. 10 mins later per day over 6 days), or cold turkey; however, the latter can be more disruptive for children and babies who are less adaptable.

Date

Transition Steps

DLS Time

STD Time

Wednesday 1st Nov

Usual sleep and feed times

7:00pm

6:00pm

Thursday 2nd Nov

Wake your baby up 15 minutes later in morning
Move bedtime later by 30 min

7:15am
7:30pm

6:15am6:30pm

Friday 3rd Nov

Wake your baby up 30 min later in morning
Move bedtime later by 45 min

7:30am
7:45pm

6:30am6:45pm

Saturday 4th Nov

Wake your baby up 45 min later
Move bedtime later by 1 hour

7:45am
8:00pm

6:45am7:00pm

Sunday 5th Nov

Regular waking time

8:00am (doesn’t apply)

7:00am

The above assumes a 7:00am to 7:00pm schedule. If your child is on a 7:30pm or 8:00pm to 7:30am or 8:00am schedule before this transition, the above steps need not apply.

You will also need to move meal and nap times later each day by 15 minutes

Sophie Acott

sophie@sleepplaylove.co

Sophie Acott is an Australian Sleep Consultant, parent coach and mother of four. With her down-to-earth, holistic, and sustainable approach, Sophie helps families all over the world to overcome the many challenges faced by modern-day parenting. Reach out via email for queries, collaboration or consultations.